Getting back on track is the one of the first thing we think of come Monday mornings. Usually through social gatherings or just taking a day of loosening up a bit on the dietary regime, we may have had a few more munchies, a few more cocktails, and have taken a few less steps. And that’s all good. It’s called balance and it’s called living in the real world, with real people, and real life circumstances.

As much as I like to indulge a bit here and there, I have never been one to go all out and just splurge. I mean, I’ve definitely had my days with my head in the fridge, but the days of going all out and splurging until I feel sick just don’t come around anymore. As one who engages is regular workouts and running, I can say that my tank occasionally will run on empty. At that point I will deliberately eat a bit more of what I’m already eating. Having a pretty balanced diet, I will occasionally indulge in a burger or some fish tacos, but I don’t necessarily consider this junk food, but rather just something I don’t include in my daily eating. When you’ve battled certain health conditions and you dial in your program to suit your needs and get you back on track, it’s easier to say no to temptation in order to not have undesirable setbacks.

That said, this weekend I did go out and enjoy a free meal over at True Food Kitchen in Fashion Valley Mall. My intention is always to order something that is at least as minimally processed as possible and not leaving me feeling like a hibernating bear. Full, Fat, & Fatigued. But simply satiated and satisfied. I choose to stay on track during the week pretty much to a T in order to feed my body for my workouts and make sure I am nourished properly. Then I allow myself a meal out on Saturday or Sunday with the intention of it being that one meal and getting right back on track. A full on day of grazing can create the set up of not only feeling awful, but a continuation of overeating and indulging that can make it hard to get back on track. For this reason, I’m not a big fan of doing refeeds or planned cheat meals that are so common in the fitness and athletic world. But rather if I know I have a big event coming up, just eat more of what I’m already eating.

So today, after having had my meal out yesterday with friends, I am back on track with my sassy salad consisting of simple crockpot chicken, steamed veggies, avocado, and hemp seed oil and coconut aminos.

Allowing yourself some wiggle room once or twice a week is a great way to reset your metabolism and allow your mind and body a little break. For me, it reminds me of how much I appreciate how my body responds to my own food. My digestion is better and I experience minimal GI side effects. Often eating out, even healthy food prepared in restaurants, can cause my stomach to turn for days. That makes my decision that much easier. Not everybody experiences either digestive or other body discomfort from eating out. That is my own personal challenge which actually does help me stay on track.​Happy Monday Munching!!What’s on your plate??​